If we are full of aspirations and troubled by the longing to relish the pinnacles of success, failures are inevitable, and so are discouragements, and so is uncertainty. Surprisingly, humans tend to have a natural inclination to relinquish hold of their dreams and proclivity when hardships embrace them, and thus we let go of things for which we had an impulsive yearn for. But Aditya Shankar, General practice attorney, New Delhi, BJP Leader and president of Nav Bihar Chetna (NBC), the personification of perseverance and persistence, has a different approach towards the challenges and hardships of life.
Expressing the significance of resilience and its role in helping us to achieve success, he says, ‘The most important ingredient to be successful in your life is to have faith in your own self, even if the world is standing against you. If you believe in your convictions, if you believe in your inherent intuition that yes, you can do well in life, provided you are ready to sacrifice it all and work hard, I’m sure success will be yours one day.’
He believes that negligence and acceptance is a key to gaining self- confidence and certainty, explaining that by being indifferent towards the frivolous and materialistic things that we come across, for example peer-pressure, develops a holistic image of life in our minds, and that securing good marks and securing good percentages are not the end goals of life. ‘Having a holistic and an overall comprehensive perspective of life is the most important thing’ he says.
Further emphasizing the prolific gravity of acceptance and being strong-willed, he recounts the initial years of his life, when he studied in The Scindia School, Gwalior, and how he considered himself as “not a very good student” in school. He then tells us that the fear of failure was incurred in him when he received 61% in his class 10th exams, but that wasn’t going to intimidate him and hegemonize him from achieving his dreams. He then had to endure a myriad of emotions as he faced the torment of ceaseless rejections from various schools in Delhi, where he went to pursue his 10+2, after studying for seven years in Gwalior.
He was finally able to pursue his 10+2 education in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, which for him was the epitome of affirmation. He then got to know that everything in life is transient, as he transitioned to the lifestyle in Delhi, as he studied in a co-ed school with girls forming the majority of the class, while coming from an all-boys hostel in Gwalior. After finishing his secondary education, he pursued his honours from St. Stephen’s college, New Delhi, law from DU and then masters from Cordon Law School, New York, the United States of America.
For those who detest their fate, have penitence and contempt for their failures, and indolent because of rejections, he has a boost of motivation for all of you. It is our natural propensity to compare our skills and talents with our classmates and friends, but we often end up dismal and dejected as we compare ourselves with others. ‘Every person is born and blessed with their own destiny, their own talent, their own hard work and their own karma and vision of life. To compare yourself unfairly with someone who is coming from a very different school of life, somebody who doesn’t have a very conventional way of thinking is a very wrong approach, because every person has a very different kind of talent that God has blessed all of us with. We should recognize our own strengths rather than comparing yourself and feeling inferior to others’ he says, telling us that it is incumbent for us to acknowledge and embrace ourselves for the sake of self-compassion.
While he surely is spontaneous and unaffected by failures, he does not instigate us to be pretentious or impetuous, he tells us that anything superfluous can be overwhelming, and that everything should be done, whilst being subjected to regulations. Being engaged in social media can ameliorate our studies, and only studies will not help us in mental diversion. He says that maintaining an equilibrium is very important in life. Listening to songs, playing games and watching movies are as important as studies are. It helps us to relax and enjoy our success, and it helps us to develop a good bond with our friends and a comfortable bond with our family.
Elucidating the solemnity of zeal behind his success, he tells us that ‘If you don’t have the fire in you, you will not be able to reach the pinnacles of life’. He further emphasizes his motivation of life, telling us that ‘Broad parameter and broad vision are important in life’ and this was his inspiration behind Nav Bihar Chetna (NBP), an organization which aims to bring transformation in Bihar to help the underprivileged and deprived children from the rural families develop their skills through the modus of social entrepreneurship.
Giving a strikingly remarkable end to our interview, he said, ‘The most important thing at the end of the day is that you must have faith in your abilities and the ability to think big. Till the time you don’t think big, life will not support you. The moment you think big, life will test you and lead you ahead.’
Hello, my name is Ashaz (class X), from Delhi Public School Varanasi. It seems fascinating that how I perceive everything which I see around me and how they intrigue me to write something. I can proudly say that I have the charisma and flair of philosophical poetry and writing and I am a fantasy novelist in progress. My exuberance was unparalleled when my teachers noticed my fervour for writing and thus, made me the Editor-In-Chief of the newsletter of our school. I always participate in most of the extra-curricular activities of our school, especially if they help me showcase my talents for writing and speaking, I never miss an opportunity to flaunt my literary persona, by writing articles and stories for our newsletter and anchoring and hosting webinars and podcasts. And above all, I have an eternal love for reading books.
Enthralling , educative & interesting article…!!